Could new emergency lights be to blame for recent spike in number of Massachusetts State Troopers being hit?

BOSTON – Massachusetts State Police are investigating whether new brighter emergency lights on cruisers are to blame for a recent spike in the number of troopers being struck by other vehicles.

Seven state troopers were hit while standing outside their cruisers last year, including Sgt. Doug Weddleton, who was killed in June by an allegedly drunken driver.

Spokesman David Procopio told the Boston Herald that the department is investigating whether the “moth effect” is to blame. That’s the theory that drivers, particularly those who have been drinking, are drawn to brighter lights like moths.

He says the agency is looking into different cruiser marking and different flash patterns to see if that makes a difference. He says the study is several months from completion.